Breaking Free: The One Thing I'm Most Proud Of

The Prison I Was Born Into

There is one thing in my life that I am incredibly proud of doing, and it is something that I want to have happen for you. But first, a bit of background.

I was born into a prison. Not a physical one, although it had consequences physically. I was born into a psychological prison. You might know it as a religion. I would encourage you to think of it as a cult. There are few meaningful differences between a cult and this religion.

The rules were strict. Expectations were high. Punishments were severe. Pressure to comply was immense. You eventually self-edited your thoughts, and felt in constant shame about recurring "sinful" thoughts.

This inability to eliminate prohibited thoughts was the source of great shame and eventually, self punishment. This was a lever that the church exploited at every opportunity.

A Life of Constant Surveillance

And they created lots of them. Daily chapel, multiple weekly services, bible study groups, bible classes, every class starting with prayer, special evangelist meetings (these were particularly guilt ridden and shaming), youth activities that always had a devotional time - just in case you might get too caught up in a moment of fun.

Every one of these scenarios was designed to remind you of your guilt, your default state of evil, and your powerlessness to change it. Only through compliance to god's will could you find freedom. The message was clear: choose this path, or else.

I spent 90% of my time in one building that served as both church and school. The rest of my time was at home until I started working as a teenager. There really wasn't much room for the world to get in.

The good news, the gospel, the truth, the one thing that could save you from this horrible, wretched, hopeless existence we call life…was pounded into your brain relentlessly. It was the only thing I knew until I began to work in the real world.

The Real World Didn’t Offer a Good Answer Either

To be clear, I did not find much, if any, joy working in the real world. I experienced many miserable bosses, awful coworkers, and learned the truth about hourly wage work. I knew I would never be happy doing that kind of work. I had a vision for being my own boss, but I did not yet possess the knowledge and skills to work for myself.

That would come much later. I would spend the next 30 years in the wilderness of life, waking up from the oppression of the cult-like environment I'd grown up in, and waking up to what I was capable of through claiming my identity and autonomy.

The One Thing I'm Most Proud Of

That's what I am most proud of - that I saw through the falsehood of a religious agenda based in fantasy, propped up by oppressive rules, and perpetuated through mind control. I escaped a mental prison, and began to live life on my terms.

And you can, too. That's the one thing I want for you.

Your Prison Might Look Different

Your situation may be different. Mental prisons come in many forms: religions, political groups, cultural norms and identities, etc. If you feel like you are somehow trapped, and find yourself questioning the basis of the "truth" you have been conditioned to believe, then you can get out.

I spent thirty years figuring out how to get free, through trial and many, many errors. Honestly, in the beginning of my search, I didn't have any idea what I was looking for. Everything outside of my religious cocoon was portrayed as evil.

I had to experience a lot of wandering before I could identify anything that looked like a path. And sometimes, the way forward looks pretty confusing and daunting. But then I remember that I am the one, the only one, who gets to choose that path and where it goes next.

The Great Secret: You Choose

Sounds arrogant, doesn't it? Who gave me the right? And that's the great secret: no one gives you the right to be you. You are, so you choose. No one else has the right. Gods and monsters are created to manipulate you into compliance.

I was born into an environment that told me I had no say, that I owed my creator, that I was worthless. I believed that, and suffered for it. But now I am learning to understand what I am capable of, what I have to offer the world, and that I have immeasurable value. Just like you.

Start Your Journey Today

You have your own journey to make. I can offer the experiences and lessons that I learned along the way, and that can help you identify what might be blocking you from self actualization and discovery.

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